Removable denture.



E. C. BENNETT. REMOVABLE DENTURE. APPLICATIQN FILED MAR. 20.1919.

Patented May 6, 1919.

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ERNEST C. BENNETT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

REMOVABLE DENTURE.

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ApplicationfiledI/Larch 20, 1919.-

To. all whom it may concern.-

Beit; known that I, ERNEST C. BENNETT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at. New York, N. Y., have invented a new and useful. Removable Denture, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to what is commonly known. as removable bridgework and is adaptable for any location in the mouth whether the teeth are in alinement or lean so as to produce bad undercuts.

The main object of my invention is to provide a method of handling such cases as cannot be readily handled by any other means without tooth mutilation.

In accordance with the.preferred construction, a relatively thin blade is secured to one tooth, for instance. the forward tooth, by means of a crown, this blade extending however only part way toward theother tooth, it being wholly independent thereof. The removable part or bridge is provided with a sheath or scabbard for the blade extending longitudinally, and at the rear the bridge can be so shaped as to partially embrace the sides of the rear tooth and extended so as to fit under the overhanging front edge of the rear tooth. This results in firmly positioning the bridge between the teeth and at the same time leaves the front and rear teeth free of connection above the gum asin the case of natural teeth. The rear tooth may be crowned and also provided with a lug or short blade extending toward the front tooth. Either the blade or the sheath is-made slightly yielding so as toaflord an elastic or resilient connection. A very simple method of accomplishing this is tomake the blade slightly irregular, corrugated or wavy in outline so that its overall thickness is. slightly greater than the width of the slot or space in the sheath.

Figure 1 is a side view of a construction embodying the iu'iprovements of my invention, the bridge being shown detached from the teeth and the blade.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the two abutment teeth and blades.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the bridge.

Fig. 4 is a side view of a form in which it is unnecessary to provide the rear tooth with a. CI'OWII.

Specification of Letterilate nt.

Patented May 6, 191%).

Serial No. 283,762.

of bridges. showing two different constructions providing for adjustment of the width of the sheath.

Fig. 8, is a section showing a modified form of sheath with a separate inserted gib sprlng.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the forward tooth .10 carries the blade 11 which projects rearwardly along the upper edge of but spaced apart from the gum. This blade may be secured to the tooth, for instance, by means of a crown 12 which is mounted on the tooth.

The tooth 13at the rear of the opening is provided with a crown 14 which carries the short projecting blade-like lug 15 preferably in line with the end of the blade 11.

The bridge member shown in side elevation in Fig. l and in cross section in Fig. 3 in this form consists of a base 16 carrying one or more teeth such as 17 and provided with a central longitudinal slot 18. This slot is preferably formed between the adjacent walls of the sheath 19 which is anchored in the base 16. This slot 18 at its lower edge is preferably but slightly wider than the thickness of the metal of the blade 11, and the blade 11 is corrugated or irregular or wavy in outline so as to have a slightly greater overall thickness than the slot 18. The result is that the blade and sheath have a resilient engagement so that the bridge is the bridge. The 111 315 in this case serves as an indicating pointer to assist the operator in keeping the blade 11 in proper alinement in the adjustment operation. The deep blade-like members 11 and 15 also hold the bridge in position laterally so as to prevent its tilting. By making the slot 18 and the sheath 19 slightly wider at the top 20 than at the bottom, the upper edge of the blade may expand'and more firmly'hold the bridge in place. Such a feature is particularly desirable where the construction is used for the upper jaw.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 5 the rear tooth 13 tilts forward materially making a. sharp undercut. In this case the bridge is provided with two wings 22-22 adapted to partially embrace the sides of the tooth 13 so as to steady the bridge against lateral motion at the rear. The bridge is also provided with a heel 23 adapted to fit beneath the projecting wall 21 of the rear tooth and thus more securely holds the bridge in position at the rear without the use of any artificial lug or blade. In this case the bridge is placed in position by tilting it as shown in Fig. 4: and inserting the rear end of the bridge first and then pressing down on the forward end.

In the form shown in Fig. 6 only one wall of the sheath is anchored and the opposite wall 24 is loose so that it may be bent to vary the grip on the blade.

In the form shown in Fig. 7 the sheath is made of three thicknesses of metal, the wall 25 being anchored to the base and the walls 26 and 27 being capable of being bent-to adjust the grip on the blade. This form affords a greater leeway for adjustment in spring pressure than the forms having only two walls, as in Fig. 6.

I11 the form shown in Fig. 8 the resilient engagement between the blade and the sheath is provided by a separate spring gib 28 inserted in the recess 29 in the sheath.

I claim 1. A denture comprising two separated I stationary teeth, a blade secured to one tooth and extending toward the other tooth but entirely free thereof, one tooth being inclined relatively to the other in combination with a removable bridge shaped to embrace the sides of the rear tooth and to fit under the overhanging edge of the inclined tooth and provided with a sheath for the blade, one of said two latter mentioned parts being resilient so as to afford a yielding connection.

2. A denture comprising two separated stationary teeth, a blade secured to one of said teeth and extending toward the other tooth but wholly unconnected therewith, said blade being corrugated so as to be of greater overall thickness than the thickness of the metal, and a removable bridge member havin a sheath with parallel walls spaced apart a slightly greater distance than the thickness of the metal of the blade, but a less distance than the overall thickness of the blade.

' 3. A denture comprising two stationary spaced apart teeth, a resilient blade secured to one of said teeth and extending toward the other tooth along the ridge of the gum but spaced apart therefrom and wholly disconnected from the other tooth, a member projecting from the second tooth toward the end of said blade and a removable bridge having a longitudinal sheath for engaging said blade and said projection.

4. A denture comprising, a tooth crown, a blade extending edgewise therefrom and corrugated vertically so as to afford an irregular outline and be of greater overall thickness than the thickness of the metal, in combination with a removable bridge having a metal sheath sealed in the underside thereof, the adjacent walls of the sheath being spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of the metal of the blade but less than the overall thickness of the blade whereby a resilient connection is afforded which may be adjusted by bending or reshaping the blade.

5. A denture comprising two separated stationary teeth, a blade secured to the forward tooth and extending toward the rear tooth but entirely free thereof, the rear tooth being inclined forwardly in combination with a removable bridge shaped to embrace the sides of the rear tooth and to fit under the forward edge of the inclined rear tooth and provided with a sheath for the blade, one of said two latter mentioned parts being resilient so as to afford a yielding connection.

6. A denture comprising a tooth, a blade secured to said tooth and extending along the gum, said blade being corrugated so as to be of greater overall thickness than the thickness of the metal, and a removable bridge member having a sheath with parallel walls spaced apart a slightly greater distance than the thickness of the metal of the blade, but a less distance than the overall thickness of the blade to provide a, resilient connection which may be regulated by adjusting said blade.

7. A dental construction comprising a tooth, a bridge, a blade and a sheath therefor, one of said last two mentioned members being resilient and adjustable to regulate the yielding connection therebetween, said blade being connected to said tooth and extending along the ridge of the gums and said sheath being carried by said bridge, and means for preventing longitudinal movement of said bridge and sheath along said blade.

ERNEST O. BENNETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

